Le donne nelle confraternite di area italo-romanza tra Medioevo ed Età romanza: evidenze testuali e linguistiche

immacolata pinto

2025-01-01

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Abstract

After establishing some cultural-historical coordinates and clarifying some key concepts in the history of Christianity (see, first of all, the idea of salvation of the soul in exchange for donations, services or simply prayers), this paper examines the role of women in devotional confraternities between the late Middle Ages and the early Modern Age. In particular, the comparative analysis of about 40 statutes from the Italian-Romance area highlights the involvement of women, at different levels, in the management of charitable works that also had economic implications (see assistance to the dying, also in order to intercept possible legacies in favour of the Catholic Church). Moreover, from the perspective of historical sociolinguistics, the research shows how mixed and/or exclusively female devotional associations are likely to fall under the concept of "integrated communities of practice" (see the combination of some of the characteristics of communities of practice and discourse and many of those of text communities).